K-pop girl band IVE holds concerts at Tokyo Dome

SEOUL, Sept. 6 (AJP) - K-pop girl band IVE held concerts from Wednesday to Thursday at Tokyo Dome, Japan's iconic venue for mega-sized concerts and events, attracting some 95,000 audiences, its agency said on Friday. The event was the finale of the six-member group's world tour and the first time it had held concerts at the dome. "I couldn't believe it even when the Tokyo Dome concert was confirmed and during rehearsals. I will never forget the moment o

September 6, 2024

Ruling camp signals flexibility on medical school enrollment

SEOUL, Sept. 06 (AJP) - South Korea’s ruling camp has signaled a potential shift in its stance on medical school enrollment, opening the door for negotiations with medical professionals and opposition parties. Originally slated to increase medical school enrollment by 2,000 in 2026, the government now appears more open to revisiting this figure. This development comes amid growing pressure from the medical community, including ongoing strikes by trainee doctors, and some wi

September 6, 2024

Korea Air Force selects first female test pilot for KF-21 fighter jet

SEOUL, Sept. 6 (AJP) - The Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) has made history by selecting a female pilot, Major Jeong Da-jung, as a test pilot for the homegrown KF-21 fighter jet, known as "Boramae." This marks the first time a woman will fly a new jet fighter under development, ROKAF announced Thursday. Major Jeong, 37, is a seasoned pilot with around 1,300 flight hours and experience as a test pilot for the KF-16, the Korean variant of the F-16 fighter jet. Her new

September 6, 2024

Samsung, LG showcase AI-powered home appliances at IFA

SEOUL, Sept. 6 (AJP) – Korean tech giants Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics are showcasing their cutting-edge, AI-powered appliances at IFA, Europe's largest consumer electronics trade show, in Berlin. The exhibition, celebrating its 100th anniversary, opened Friday for a five-day run. Over 2,000 companies are participating in the event, which highlights AI and connectivity as the driving forces behind the next generation of home appliances. Under the theme “

September 6, 2024

ASEAN-Korean Centre to present ecological diversity at Gwangju Biennale exhibitions  

SEOUL, Sept. 6 (AJP) - Starting on Sept. 7, The ASEAN-Korean Centre (AKC) will set up a pavilion exhibition space to present the ecological diversity of ten member countries of The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) at the Gwangju Biennale, One of Asia's top contemporary art events, the AKC said Friday. The AKC is an intergovernmental organization designed to promote economic and socio-cultural cooperation between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)

September 6, 2024

Korea posts current account surplus for third consecutive month

SEOUL, Sept. 6 (AJP) - South Korea posted a current account surplus in July for the third consecutive month, driven by strong exports of semiconductors and other goods. The current account surplus for the month was $9.13 billion, the largest for a July since 2015, according to provisional statistics released by the Bank of Korea on Friday. Following a deficit of $290 million in April, the nation recorded surpluses of $8.92 billion in May and $12.56 billion in June. The current

September 6, 2024

Cushman & Wakefield bullish on Korea's tech property market

SEOUL, Sept. 5 (AJP) – Cushman & Wakefield, a global real estate firm, is expanding its presence in the fast-growing property services sector for Korea's technology and life sciences industries. The Korean office of the Chicago-based company sees robust potential in these sectors as industrial giants make significant investments in semiconductors and biotechnologies in cities near Seoul. "We are working with a number of Korean chaebols," John Pritchard, he

September 5, 2024

VISUALS: Kiaf Seoul, Frieze Seoul underway in COEX

Seoul, Sept. 5 (AJP) – Two major art fairs, Kiaf Seoul and Frieze Seoul, opened simultaneously on Wednesday. Frieze Seoul, one of the world's top two art fairs, runs until Saturday at COEX Halls C and D in Samseong-dong, Seoul, while Kiaf Seoul, Korea's largest art fair, continues until Sunday at COEX Halls A and B, the Grand Ballroom, and The Platz on the second floor. Frieze Seoul features 110 galleries, including top-tier names such as Gagosian, Hauser & Wirth, and Dav

September 5, 2024

BTS's 'IDOL' music video hits 1.3 billion YouTube views

Courtesy of Big Hit Music SEOUL, Sept. 05 (AJP) - "IDOL," K-pop wonder BTS' song released six years ago, has garnered more than 1.3 billion views on YouTube as of 8:00 a.m. (2300 GMT) on Wednesday reaching a milestone. IDOL became the fifth BTS music video to break the 1.3 billion mark, the group’s music label, BigHit Entertainment said. The "IDOL" video, which won the Music Video of 2018 at the E! People's Choice Awards, an American award

September 5, 2024

Korea targets Oscar with historic film on 1979 military coup

SEOUL, Sept. 5 (AJP) -"12.12: The Day," directed by Kim Sung-su, has been chosen as Korea's entry for Best International Feature Film at the Academy Awards, the Korean Film Council (KOFIC) announced on Wednesday. The film chronicles the military coup on December 12, 1979, which followed the assassination of President Park Chung-hee. Major General Chun Doo-hwan led the coup, taking control of the government and declaring martial law. This coup marked the start of a pe

September 5, 2024